The biggest mystery of this episode was how Lumon managed to remodel the break room and produce a whole ass animated short film over the course of a weekend
@@xrisxros747Milchick tells iMark it’s been 5 months in the first episode, but on the second, when speaking to Helena and company he complains he o it had 48 hours to put everything together.
I thought the same because her innie is free and gets to have relationships, friends and love. Notice how they showed that wide shot of Helena in the office at lumon? She looked like a caged bird almost like she’s stuck going with everything even if she doesn’t want to.
It's a mix between curiosity and jealousy at the same time for me. I think she's very intrigued by how someone, he considered subhuman, is living a richer life than her; and I think she wants that too. But I do think she'll be manipulating Mark to keep him working on "Cold Harbor" along with the rest of the characters. But her personal desires might seep in.
Not a theory so much as an observation: the innie/outie relationship for each character seems to be of (literal) inner child vs experienced adult. Mark is friendly and optimistic, but life has turned outie Mark bitter and sarcastic. Innie Dylan is bragadocious and loves prestige and prizes, but outie Dylan seemingly can’t get a decent job and took a severed job out of desperation, even though it holds a stigma, in order to support his family. Innie Irving is inspired by and devoted to the authority structure over his life, and truly believes. Outie Irving is suspicious enough of those same things to be investigating Lumon. Innie Helly is independent and resists authority. Outie Helly puts up with all kinds of stress and abuse to please her father and tow the line.
great analysis, i totally agree and think s2 is subverting on the commentary of s1 (innies as slaves) to portray outies as “trapped”. And other peoples theories about sleep as a connecting mechanism is so cool!!
this is heavily implied since they are literally the age of whenever they started waking up on the conference table. thus, Ms Huang could still easily out-age some of them even.
I think a big detail missed is when Milchick talked about how happy innie mark is. It’s the complete opposite conversation that Outie mark and Petey had with each other. That petey told mark that he brings the sadness with him to work. That they joked with him that he was allergic to the elevator due to his eyes always being puffy at the beginning of work. I think mark does not believe milchick one bit. He decided to go back to work not because Milchick convinced him. But because he needs innie mark to continue what they started. To figure out what’s truly going on with Lumon.
Nice catch! I defs think that his conversation with Milchick is what started him on the path of discovering what happened to Gemma - it was too much of a coincidence for her to be brought up just then, and then his interaction with Cobelvig just confirms that there's more to her death than he thought.
I agree and thought this as well: Mark literally sees the other Mark getting fired and shouting “FU Lumen” - after all he just had been through, wouldn’t this have been enough to confirm that this is a crappy place? He was even singing with Alexa FU Lumen…yet he goes in anyway. This can’t be just because of Milkshake…
@@ZerofeverOfficial originally it was a nickname for one of the historical Eagans. So, I was served tater tots at the restaurant? Or did a re-animated Eagan corpse, resurrected and immortalized by some evil Lumon technology, put them into my mouth? Maybe Frankenstein Eagan fed me *in* the restaurant? And are these tater tots, or does “tots“ refer to children? Are the Eagans cannibals? Is Lumon snack food the modern Soylent Green? Tin foil hats on, Innies.
It should be noted that a) having this episodes all about the outies is brilliant, b) it was beautifully shot and c) cleverly edited. Love this series.
Frolic is one of keir's 4 tempers. Also saw a really awesome theory on the severance subreddit...irv's outtie is communicating with his innie via his watch. Irvs dad (edit: irv was actually in the navy!)was in the navy and they use a flag communication system called semaphore which is essentially like the hands of of a clock that represents letters. In ep 2 they focus on irv putting on his watch before he enters the elevator... the show also seems to focus a lot on the clock at the security guys desk. I think the show makers may even be using semaphore to spell something out with the security guard's clock
On the mark id’d Gemma’s body front, I think it’s interesting that he follows up with “if ricken dies and his body was burned” which makes me think that mark did id the body but it was probably in an unrecognizable state and he had to id her through her clothes, etc. meaning it probably wasn’t Gemma’s body
It could mean either that it wasn’t her body, or it could attest to lumons ability to reconstruct a corpse. It’s probably the latter though because whatever the circumstances were, they’re seeing enough doubt in mark that he’d ask cobelvig about it
Or he saw her body (obviously didnt check for vitals or anything) and then only THOUGHT it was burned because they told him it was. There was a sad story in Georgia years ago of a crematorium that told families that they cremated their loved ones but didnt
I agree with @@Getwright- I reckon he was told she was cremated but in reality they kept the body and used it for their experiments rather than her body being burnt from the crash.
I was sad that none of the commentaries I've watched for episode 2 mentioned that Dan Erickson (who created the show) actually worked in a door factory, and that it was during this job that he came up with the idea of Severance. I thought it was a fantastic little easter egg.
@@KPbouj I've heard it mentioned multiple times from different videos & interviews, either from Ben Stiller or Dan himself, but you make a good point - if people only watch the show itself then yeah this little in-joke is going to slip past them. But when it slips past someone who makes detailed and insightful commentaries, and who presumably watches more than the show itself, then yeah it makes me sad.
I'm locked in on Helena going down to MDR instead of Helly because: - The elevator doesn't ping when she goes down in this episode, despite pinging for the first three. - She's always the one to bring up how there is no surveillance in the rooms and encouraging the others to speak freely, even saying that Milchik (a man she has zero reason to trust) said there were no listening devices in the room where they watched the video. - She couldn't find the switch on the computer. - She has no reason to not reveal to her coworkers that she's an Eagan; Knowing Helly, she would definitely find a way to use that as leverage to take Lumon down. - Her clothes this season are more in line with Lumon standards (wearing blues and greys) when in season one she wore more warm colours, perhaps out of Helena's rebellious nature or simply because the rules don't apply to her since she's an Eagan. It almost feels like she's consciously trying to not draw attention to herself. - When Mark tells about Ms. Casey / Gemma, she says, "What are YOU going to do?" and generally doesn't use language that suggests solidarity with the Innies. BONUS THEORY: I think Innie Irving already knows that something's different about Helly and may not trust her, as he's the one to question her story and even waits until he and Dylan are in another part of the building to whisper into his ear what he saw during the OTC.
Good stuff! I think they are leaving it ambiguous about whether she's Helena or Helly to stoke our theories. It is plausible to me that Helly is so shaken to discover she's the daughter of the CEO - for the first time repeating the apology from the Break Room sincerely when she does - that she would be ashamed to admit it to her innie comrades - at least when put on the spot she makes up a cover story. This might be why "night gardener" is a detail she misses. If she is Helena it seems like she'd have used her time to manufacture a plausible story vs. a spontaneous one; then again, Helena's "night gardener" slip could be because she has no idea how regular people live. It probably is Helena, but I don't want it to be - it also seems like it would be a lot more difficult for her to "play" Helly considering how diametrically opposed their values and ambitions are. (I like to think that Helly is Helena's true self minus the life of cult programming she's experienced, a "nature vs. nurture" kind of thing.)
@@markc.7984 I thought the exact same thing at first, but then I rewatched the season 1 finale, and Helly's moment in the mirror doesn't read as shame for me. In that moment, she's reciting the speech, but she's using it to hype herself up; She knows that her outtie was a part of what she and other innies like her are going through, so she gathers herself and is more ready than ever to take Lumon down and right Helena's wrongs. I don't think Helly would hide that from her friends, I think she would absolutely be like, "Listen, my outtie's got sway out there, she's a god damn Eagan, and we're gonna use that to our advantage somehow." Also, even if she didn't want to reveal her Eagan identity, she still learned a LOT at the gala that she would definitely let the rest of them in on by pretending that her outtie was some random rich person at the banquet. The night gardener thing feels like such a sheltered rich person thing to say as well, because remember, it's Irving (another innie with no outside world experience) who questions that detail. I don't think we can chock it up to innie ignorance. (Innignorance, if you will)
Yes you’re back!!! I was looking for your vids when the season began and didn’t see them and got worried you were gonna miss this AMAZING SEASON!! Honestly of all the folks covering Severance your content was my preferred vid to watch!
That's an interesting thought, but surely she would have already recognised carpark Mark in the promo pictures shown in Helly's "A Severed Story" display. It's reasonable to assume she would have signed off on them or at least seen them before gala night.
As high up in the company as she is, Helena definitely knows all about Gemma and whatever Cold Harbor is, so there’s a good chance she’s known who Mark is for years
This has probably been mentioned, but in the opening credits, we always see Mark's innie & outtie merge during sleep. It makes me think of Irv & how his outtie life trickles into his innie dreams, when he dozes off at work. The subconscious is a powerful thing, and could wreak havoc on the chips ability.
I have a feeling that Helena seeing Mark's innie kiss her innie might be the first step in convincing her that innies are full people and eventually she will have empathy for them and start to help them against her family and Lumon.
I wonder if Helena has never been in love before. Maybe she's avoided relationships because of the cult? To me it seemed like shock and curiosity, maybe because she's never had that experience
I got the feeling she liked seeing it. She certainly didn't seem to disapprove -- she smiled. I wonder if Helena the outtie will become a more ambiguous character with empathy for the innies.
I think she leads a totally controlled life and probably has not been in love. Maybe never had a physical relationship. I'm starting to think maybe the Eagans get their personality transplanted into the next of kin when they die. And Helena is not looking forward to it.
@raining_trees i think you’re right! during the after credits interviews, the actress mentions that helena lives a very sheltered life so seeing helly live so freely and of her own accord is fascinating and infuriating
Man so many channels doing severance breakdown but I’ll be waiting for nautilus files. I watched season 1 last fall and followed along with your videos all the way! Fell in love with the content on theories and character vids. I’ll be sticking with nautilus files through season 2
Now we've got actual confirmation that Lumon has something planned with Mark and Gemma. We already basically knew that but getting full confirmation is huge. These first 2 episodes were fantastic and I'm excited for the rest of the season.
It was Helly!! She ran out because she got tackled and was running away. She had trouble blindly finding the switch she couldn’t see (and has to reach over to hit) on the back of her computer (on which she immediately identified was her work space!) for the same reason I’ve have to feel around the back of every computer I’ve had since forever (I’m older than I type) for switches and ports and (despite what Sherlock said in the pilot of Sherlock) had to feel around in the dark and scratch up the power port of every cell phone I’ve ever had - and I’m not a regular drinker! The goddamn *Board* (which possibly lives in her father’s brain) insisted that the original team, including Helly R. (the only one they mentioned!) return, and I doubt that Helena, who is already in trouble, and has been raised to praise Keir and do everything for Lumon, would risk going against their wishes! There are other parts of the theory that I could refute, but I’m done for now. I really want to know how this theory got started!! What was the “cast comments” that you referred to? I am sooo glad that you, my favorite Severance commentator, have not completely made up your mind. Tomorrow I’m going to join your Patreon (unfortunately, I’m pretty broke right now ) so it will probably be a low level. Now I have to sleep! Yaawwn! My innie must have spent time in the break room or dancing too much with Milkshake. idk! Thank you for the video!
Great catches. I think they are specifically prodding us and masking info so that we'll think it's Helena (or at least be debating it), but I can't imagine someone like her being able to so convincingly act like Helly eight hours at a time, not to mention taking her away from all her other Lumon involvements and responsibilities 40 hours a week.
Anyone not realizing that us 'merkans don't have universal healthcare and think a terrible disease has to be involved to want and need health insurance for your family of FIVE is killing me 😂
I gotta thank you, Nautti man. I have been working on a project that is a real slog and listening to your dulcet tones talk about Severence is really getting me through the tedium. I need to come back and watch again so I can pay attention. Thanks for your channel. You're tops!
Food is a major issue!! Pineapples, waffles, snacks. This season, i haven't seen anyone eat a proper meal. There is a lack of plants & household pets ( irv does have a 🐕) outside of fish, i think i am the only person who thinks there's something wrong with the food supply in this reality. Ijs a diner where people only drink tea & coffee? Foodless dinner parties? Major easter egg, where it leads i dunno, but bobbing for pineapples? It's weird, to say the least.
I took the food things inside the lumon facility as kind of poking fun at the idea that companies will provide meals and pizza parties and present them like rewards instead of increasing pay or benefits. I think if there is a food issue in this world, it could definitely be a lumon constructed problem. We’ve never seen outside of kier so who knows what their control is doing to the food supply
@hannah-lk3oc great call out. I won't go too far (cannibals) but food is important in our universe. We socialize & fellowship over food. In the severance universe, they simulate meals without eating. Remember those pellets that Pac-Man ate??? Those snacks & waffles etc... those are video game pellets. Ijs. Humans eat.... those fools ain't eating. Everybody is sleeping on the food supply issues in this universe. It's in plain site. Petey was hungry in that convenience store & he was freaking out! He needed tokens!! Food is the key to this show, or I maybe I'm hungry lol.
Kinda interesting that outie Irv basically parallels Helly in ep. 1 giving Milchick the ‘night gardener’ reaction, and it’s his innie that is immediately suspicious of Helly for giving that reaction. It’s like he might be some of a secret agent before he got severed and his innie got this instinct to recognise coverup stories.
I think Irving and Burt were romantically involved on the outside, and when Burt opened the door, he saw a man he used to love. When Irving came to I imagine he wasn't exactly forthright in explaining how he actually ended up there. A revelation like this could explain why Burt appeared to be crying while watching Irv from his car. Maybe a part of him still misses his former partner, or perhaps he knows that Irving works a severed position at Lumon, and was able to surmise that his recent departure was somehow related to Irving's unexpected arrival. Even if it's just a gut feeling, the idea that their love could be strong enough to cross the boundary of these men's severed lives is quite touching.
Burt's name was already on the map when Innie Irv found it during the OTC. First he was looking at the list of severed employees, and Burt was one that he had an address for. When he unfolded the map, we saw the writing on it.
Did anyone note how strange it was that innie Burt could drive (and follow road rules), despite never having done it before? I guess it because a subconscious instinct that bled through from his outtie.
@@dougfraser77 I think that’s the point they were showing us in the very beginning when Helly answered the 5 questions. One was to name any US state. They aren’t blank slates. To me it’s like people with amnesia. They can read, write etc. they just don’t remember certain things.
Who has noticed something about bees? Ricken was telling Mark about “the funny bees”, one of the contingencies was called “beehive”, amd there was a bee poster in the new breakroom. Forget the goats, what’s up with bees?
I didnt even pick up on that, but i think the rest of episode 2 also confirms that, by showing that mark just seemed to be worried for the baby, dylan stayed a bit of overtime, and irv was some guy who knocked on a door, even the helena situation seemed to be bottled with her down-playing apolology. In other words, of course they aren't famous, there is no reform, it hasn't been 5 months, its been a single weekend
I mean, obviously. It wasn't 5 months. It was only a few days. Mark didn't even miss a single day or work. There isn't any need to prove that it was a lie. It was shown to us directly.
You don’t need to realise it, literally the whole episode shows it directly. If someone had doubts after that photoshopped photo from the last episode.
My theory is that Helena deep down is NOT down with becoming the next Lumon CEO. That maybe she has very little choice in her prescribed life as an Eagan and has to fall in line with whatever her father pressures her to do (noted by how he treats her.) And that her seeing the video of her innie and Mark kissing triggers a deep sadness about never getting to be free and perhaps never getting to fall in love or choose a partner… so it’s also possible that she does enter the severed floor as Helena secretly so she can experience that love and passion for herself without even Lumon knowing - since the board told her to go as “Helly”. So I think that Helena will later help to sabotage Lumon’s plans and work with the other outies. Because after all her inner Helly is a subconscious reflection of some part of her natural urge to rebel.
I still think helly is in fact, Helly R. You missed the spot where Natalie pushes her away on stage, and that’s the reflex her innie gets when she goes off the elevator. And I think Helly is pretty disgusted of who she is on the outside, that’s why she lied 👀
All I hope for this show is that the rabbit hole goes deeper than we can imagine.With all these theories it feels like someone may have cracked the code but I hope that there is misdirection and misleading stuff baked in. It’s fun finding out what things symbolize and mean that never gets boring. But I hope the mystery grows even bigger. What a great show. Phenomenal.
There are a lot of theories along the lines of "Cobel secretly hates lumon and wants to take them down because they did something to her mother (presumed Charlotte)", but I have a different theory, Cobel is super invested in Lumon and Mark/Gemma because Charlotte (whoever that is) is in a similar situation ad Gemma, and she's hoping that Lumon macro data refining thing can be used to not only bring Charlotte back but also restore her memories of Cobel. That's why she's trying so hard to see if she can trigger memories in Ms. Casey/innie Mark. She believes in Kier and she wants this to work, but her motives are more selfish than fanatical.
I agree and that would explain how desperately conflicted she’s been, and all of her outbursts and intense pain. Grief makes people break. Plus she seemed to care about Mark but then goes bananas because she realizes if she saves him she loses the progress on her own family member.
One of the little things I loved about Mark's confrontation with Cobelvig is the confirmation that her cookies were awful. Mark did such a good job of masking his reaction in S1 when he called them "magical".
Could be both. I've always thought a part of it is that Cobel is a "true believer" in Kier (and severance and everything), but she's not totally convinced of Lumon and the Board. As in she considers herself righteous and the corp as corrupt. But she has to try to work inside because of Charlotte, and possibly to keep Lumon as pure Eaganian? Kierian?
The actress playing Gretchen has been announced. Her name's Merritt Wever. She's been in other stuff, and we haven't seen her before in Severance, so she won't be someone we've already met as a surprise.
I wonder if it really just comes down to like a budget thing with the show. That with her indeed just being an additional support character (and not some impending twist itself), they simply have her do this set of lines as voice only instead of shooting an insert shot of her at home because it was cheaper since that's all she's got for this episode. Presumably we'll see her properly on camera at some point
I think they’re purposefully holding back with Dylan’s stuff and this just adds to it. My thought is that maybe the reveal isn’t WHO but what or why. I feel like the setting and family situation is going to be more unique than you’d expect but I’m not sure yet what the answer is
Does anyone else get the sense there's something not quite right with Milichick? Yes, I know he's trying to hide things but when he's interacting with Mark and Devin he comes off as if he's having to remind himself what humans sound like and behave? He's always been creepy but I thought I felt that way because of the circumstances and environment below the surface. But in an episode surrounded by outies, he sticks out. On an unrelated note, I can't wait to see what's up with the pineapples! Reminds me of Psych! 😂
over the past several weeks, I binged 3 shows, that being from, silo, then severance in that order and it's cool how your recent uploads reflects that chronology perfectly lol
Another YT channel called "The Faceless Girl" had the theory that Helly is actually like the trapped princess. She says she is lonely and looked to by her family as the one to continue their work and legacy but she is very isolated and actually feels jealous over Helly's freedom and ability to love and do as she pleases. I think this makes sense. As when she replays the kiss in the video she glances out the door to see if anyone is watching, before replaying the kiss and smiling to herself...
I think they are hiding Gretchen because in next episodes we will see Dylan being visited at work by his wife only to later on discover that this visitor is fake
If Dylan's innie is who he really wants to, maybe Helena's innie is who she really wants to be. A rebel who hates authority figures and wants to be independent. Mark seems the same both in and out... but I would say that Mark's different on the inside in that he's not afraid to live life. Mark on the outside is afraid to move on without his wife. So the inner Mark is Freer to have fun and play around. The outer mark would never play games like that with somebody, but you could see how the outer Mark got his wife the way he deals with Helly. Maybe that's an effect of severance, you become the you without the fears that hold you back. Helly is afraid of her father and obeys him but really she wants to do the opposite. So maybe if Mark could spark a feeling of self worth in Helena, she might start standing up to her father.
Oh interesting. And if like another poster said they get handed down the Kier family personality at the revolving, maybe she fights it and decides to become her innie self all the time.
I was so glad to see that you’d posted a video for this episode! Like you, I think that Helena is secretly going in because she wants to receive affection from Mark. The way she reacted when he hugged her was like she was shocked to be embraced, since she’s probably not had a lot of affection shown to her by her father. But also, she might be in an unhappy or arranged marriage. IMDB shows her name as Helly Riggs, but that may not be accurate. A “few” more thoughts that I have- 1. Milchick screwed-up when he mentioned Gemma. Mark was pretty steadfast with the idea that she was definitely dead. When Milchick mentioned her, I feel that piqued his interest. Then Cobel’s reaction to him asking about Gemma, pretty much confirmed that something was up. 2. I think Mark will get back in touch with Reghabi and ask her to reintegrate him. Then he’ll be able to access his innie’s memories to find out if Gemma being alive is true. 3. Nowadays, if people are asked to identify a body, they don’t see the body in person, it’s fine through photos. Lumen could easily doctored the pictures. 4. I think Gemma is a Lumen employee, and was one long before she met Mark. Helena says “she’s one of us” to Mark. But she was speaking as talking about them being innies. Since Helena’s a Lumen person, that would make her “one of us” remark elude to Gemma as a Lumen person, too. When Mark was taping her picture back together, he mentioned things that he loved about, stating that he loved them all equally. That’s the same verbiage that Ms. Casey used. Maybe Gemma designed the way that wellness center visits are carried out. 5. I think Gemma may turn out to be a bad guy. Maybe her relationship with Mark was a set-up for Lumen, so they could test how loss affects a person’s mind. She may even turn out to be a bad guy. I don’t see the show having a love triangle between Mark, Helly, & Gemma. With evil Gemma out of the way, reintegrated Mark will be able to be with Helly R. without issue. 6. I don’t think Dylan has money issues. I think he was just super concerned about being able to continue providing for his family, since he was now unemployed. It would be difficult to break the news of being fired to your spouse, especially having kids to take care of, and if you’re the breadwinner. The door guy said that Dylan had a lot of short term positions, so I don’t think that Dylan got a severed job because he was struggling, it was probably because it was a sure thing; a way that he could have steady employment. Innie Dylan is, as he says, “good at my job.” Maybe outie Dylan wasn’t good at his work at previous jobs. 7. Irving has worked at Lumen for 7 years. Burt mentioned in his retirement video that he was with Lumen for almost 7 years. I’m guessing that they definite know each other on the outside. Maybe they were a couple but Irving’s obsession with Lumen’s activities drove Burt away. 8. When Irving was making his phone call, I think he was calling Burt. I’m pretty sure that Burt answered the door and probably told him to stop coming around there. Irving might have told him that it was his innie but Burt didn’t believe him and said, “well, tell your “innie” to stop coming around here.” So when Irving calls him, he says “my *innie* got the message. 9. Next episode will likely focus on Irving. He, Helly and Mark were the 3 to get out, and each episode starts with the last works before getting switched back over. We’ve gotten 2 episodes showing what transpired with innie & outie Mark, and outie Helly. Now they need to do the same with Irving. 10. I think Mr. Milchick’s “it’s been 5 months” lie will get figured out by the innies. They made a point of having Dylan talk about how he was tackled so bad and hurt his head. Dylan may realize that his head still hurts from that, so it’s hasn’t been long since they were last at Lumen. 11. Helena isn’t happy with her life. She was likely forced by her father or the board, to become severed. She likely doesn’t have a say in what she does. Plus, she probably really desires to have her father’s approval. To prove that she is worthy and capable of getting whatever they ask her to do, done successfully. I doubt she wanted to go back to work after the hanging but needed to because she didn’t want her father to think that she was a failure. She didn’t want to disappoint him. Probably why she didn’t mention it to him or the board, and they didn’t know until 3 weeks later. Even when she was in the break room, she heard a “grumbling old man’s voice” I believe she said, whereas Dylan heard a baby crying. She was probably hearing her father’s disapprovals of her. 12. I think that Lumen’s end goal is to get everyone in the world severed, without needing to insert chips into their heads. 13. I bet the Family Visitation Suite is just photos of the family and ‘facts’ about them, posted on the walls like exhibits in a museum. Mr. Milchick even says, after Dylan asked if he’ll be able to SEE his family there, “if you take it at face value” so they’ll just _see_ their family, they don’t be there in person. 14. I hope we get more of Petey’s story through flashbacks. Maybe Mark will go back and tell his family what he knows about Petey’s final days. 15. I loved Mark calling out Cobelvig’s nasty cookies. 😂 16. Milchick thought he was slick by telling the innies that they could choose to quit, when he knew good and well that he was manipulating them- making them/prisoners feel like they are free, so that he could make them feel like they have a choice, like Cobelvig was doing when she let them roam the halls. 17. When Mr. Milchick went to Devon’s house to talk to Mark, I like the way Devon shifted the focus to expressing anger about Cobelvig intruding on her family by pretending to be a lactation consultant. She believes that Gemma may very well be alive, so, as not to allude to innie Mark saying something about Gemma, she made it seem like he only mentioned Cobelvig being a shady Lumen employee. My thought is that, as others mentioned, Milchick’s helmet may have had a recording device in it. Maybe when he reviews the footage, he’ll see Devon covering Gemma’s photo and figure it out. As I believe that Helena is the one going to work (not Helly R.) so that she can experience being cared for and appreciated, I don’t think that she will reveal to the board that Mark knows about Ms. Casey being Gemma. Okay, let me take off _my_ Tin foil hat now. 🤭 I’m so ready for episode 3. 😩
I also think Gemma is bad! When Mark talks about Gemma, I can’t remember the episode, I think it’s one of the ones where he is dating the other girl (who I don’t think we’ve seen the last of) but he described Gemma. She didn’t sound nice at all. She sounded like someone that Mark idolised but didn’t know very well. So I think she was working for lumen for a while before she “died”
@ Glad I’m not the only one who thinks she’s a bad person! 😅 The show doing the whole ‘making her seem so wonderful’ through Mark’s and Devon’s eyes has got to be misdirection.
A lot of points here but I just wanted to say that I agree, I think Irving was calling Burt! I haven’t seen anyone else saying it, but I can’t see why he would start with “You’re not picking up, I get it” if he was talking to someone he was working with about getting Lumon info. The way he says “I get it” implies that he knew him on the outside, maybe they had a relationship before, and he was trying to apologize for his innie’s actions. But Burt doesn’t pick up because he’s lurking around in that car at night, lol. I think these two are destined lovers in all versions of reality, innie or outie- but I digress…
Same about the cookies I’ve watched the episode three times and bust out laughing every time he gets real with her because those cookies looked dry af lol it’s hilarious
No one is talking about sleep enough!! Currently on a rewatch, here are my clues! - Petey isn’t sleeping well in the greenhouse and his reintegration is going haywire - Irving dozing at work and seeing paint, with a heavy emphasis on the punishment for him doing so (could tie back to the “my innie got the message” because he’s been trying to leave the elevator clue for his innie to observe somehow through repetition) - End credit song of S1 E2 is “daydream I feel asleep under the flowers” -Cobelvig mentions getting more sleep to mark outtie - In the break room when they are tired, helly hears voices (Jame), Dylan hears crying babies, this is more evidence of outtie conscious bleeding into their minds when their brain is exhausted - The new S2 title sequence is a whole sequence of sleep symbolism!! Start and end mark sits on the bed, section of mark sleeping in a bed and his innie and outtie on his chest - Bonus IRL, the act of sleep and dreaming is the brains way of processing memories! Which to me, ties the whole thing together. I think sleep is going to be an important part of this plot! Either they use it to help gain knowledge and blend/blur the boundaries of Severance innies and outies. Or this is part of the plot, and what Lumon is really do with the innies. There are probably more things but… Thank you for coming to my TED talk
My theory about Helly R.'s inconsistencies, including running off the elevator, is that she was in fact woken up with the overtime contingency at a bistro with Milchick before returning to the severed floor... to be threatened with what? Also remember Mark S. was told it had been 5 months since their stunt when Milchick revealed in this episode it had been 48 hours. Confirmed by the anger of Mark W. over breaking his lease to relocate only to be let go again. I'm so glad I found your channel for everyone's creative input. One of the only channels I'm willing to read through the comments section. Great content here.
I noticed when they showed the OG team going down the elevator, you heard the severance *ding* as Mark, Dylan, and Irv went down. But when Helly went down there was no ding to show she flipped over to her severed mind. It’s definitely Helena down there.
I've heard this a lot....Personally I don't buy this theory! if it IS somhow true, they;re gonna half to work hella hard to pull it off imo...I think they just did that for dramatic effect to end it on a cliffhanger!
After reading your comment, I rushed to rewatch because I also believe it's Helly down there. However, the elevator does ring when Helly arrives-it rings for everyone, including her.
Did you notice: 1. during the Pips conversation, Mark reveals that the body he IDed that he assumed was Gemma was badly burned up - i.e. some other burned up female corpse of similar height/weight/etc. could've been used (ew! But we know Cobel is down to drill into corpse skulls so....) to cover that they have her down in the experimental floor 24/7. 2. on those few flashing frames of Cold Harbor, we see that the four boxes under each of the five progress bars are the four Tempers, abbreviated to two-letter labels? 3. also from that frame it suggests that Gemma is one of five subjects - we see the ID number that starts with 02 at the top, and again above the heart rate and other vitals, perhaps indicating that the monitor is currently showing the stats (and picture) of one of the five subjects of Cold Harbor. 4. so the Refiners are somehow building/rebuilding the balance of tempers for each of the five subjects - one of whom is Jemma - which would explain why the numbers make the Refiners "feel things.” As mentioned in the Orientation Handbook, they're using their instincts i.e. detecting the clusters of the different Tempers (basically sadness, fear, joy, and hatred) to somehow “sort” into the (clean slate?) consciousnesses/personalities of the five Cold Harbor subjects. 5. “Cold Harbor” is the name of a battle from the Civil War that took place just a couple years before Kier founded Lumon to make “topical salves.” Make of that what you will.
The way jame looks at Helena around when he called her a moppet seemed purposeful. More than just a scolding. He goes through numerous different emotions. Terror, confusion, I don't know. but if he was directed to act all those certain ways, it might be worth pondering why...
My Dylan theory is that his wife or one of his children have serious health issues or a chronic condition. Of course he wants health care but it's the very first thing he asks. Not about pay. Not about a retirement plan or paid time off or anything else. And the look on his face and outward expression of relief in his response reaffirmed my theory. Could be totally wrong, but it could also explain his willingness to sever. I'm sure Lumon has great health coverage. 😂
I was thinking this, too! When Helly and Dylan discuss what the Break Room is like for them in Season 1, she says she hears an old, mumbly guy and Dylan says he hears a baby. I figure during the Break Room sessions they somehow connect to their motivations for being there. In Helly's case, it's her father, in Dylan's case it's his (most likely sick) baby.
5:44 wdym "did innie Irving do this?" We saw him find the papers in his locked chest, there were lists of svrd employees with addresses for some and the map where all the names were marked.
Was anyone else slightly hypmotized by the slow transitions in this episode? I loved them except for the Milchick motorcycle cutting diagonally across Irving's THROAT. I got a chill! 😬
Guys. Hear me out. I was just rewatching S1Ep3 and noting how strident Helly is to get out of there. At one point she doesn't believe her outie denied her resignation request. She says, "My outie wouldn't do that to me." It made me wonder why the Eagans would let one of their own be severed. I mean, they know it's a terrible thing that makes people into part-time slaves. Helena *must* have been a troublemaker and they made her get severed as a way to both control her, punish her, and use her as a PR trick. This jives with how Natalie questions her at the Gala about her drinking. She's not quite trusted by the fam. And in this episode, she records her apology like it's definitely not the first time she's ever had to lie and apologize on camera. Def not her first rodeo. She's a fetid moppet. She's the family screw up. But maybe she's the only living heir. She has to be controlled. Also I'm definitely catching more and more reasons to think Cobel is working against Lumon and trying to get Mark to remember his outie life.
Me too. Not sure why they have such a bad reputation. I'm from Michigan so I got so excited to think we have a Lumon connection! 🤓 Plus the painting, Kier Invites You To Drink Of His Waters look like he's standing over the mitten state and the great lakes 🤯
Jame Eagan’s confusion when Helena addresses him as “Father” gave me the impression that Jame Eagan believed he was speaking to the innie, Helly, when he calls her “fetid moppet.” (A rather antiquated epithet, no?)
The door thing is a nod to the writer Dan Erickson. He was miserable and created the show while he was working for a door company and wished he could make the day go faster through compartmentalization or forgetting the hours he was at work.
I read that, how subtle. I can't help but think of Monsters Inc. though and the door factory scene. Fear was an energy source. And Helly packages fear numbers. Hmmmm
I don't think Jame cursed at Helena but at the innie which they hate. The gala was over but he might've been notified much later. When Helena says "Father?", he realises his mistake and looks ashamed. There is no true evidence of him hosting any other CEOs yet.
Definitely think Drummond is Frolic, Graner might've been Malice or Dread and Natalie might be Malice also as she's quite malicious. Also i think in that scene with Mark and Devin in Pips he said Gemmas corpse was burned, most likely pretty badly, so it could be someone else Mark identified?
Rebeck is super weird. 😂 But I think her calling the baby “it” was not really meant to mean much. Also, both Ricken and Mark called the baby “it” before, too. In season 1 when Ricken is talking about the 3 beds, he says “if you provide said child with all of IT’S beds upon birth…” And Mark joked with Devon, after she apologized for having him go to the dinner-less dinner, he says, “Well since your baby is innocent of the atrocities tonight, I’ll wait until after IT is born, to m*rder you.” And in real life, for years they manufactured celebratory balloons with either “It’s a boy!” or “its a girl!” written on them. I don’t know if they still do or not, though. 🤷🏾♀️
"Don't punish the baby. This wasn't its fault." Rebeck is banana pants. Who punishes a baby? What baby is responsible for its own disappearance? Ricken's friends are from another planet 🤣
@@vitaminj7 They are super looney. 😅 I keep thinking about that one dude saying it was “faux pas” to call World War I, World War I… before WWII even happened. 🤦🏾♀️😂 And then knocking Mark out of the way to run and grab Eleanor, claiming, “I found her! I found your baby! I’m the one who found her.” 🤣🤣
No elevator tone for Helly, she's wearing a more vibrant blue shirt and she gets to keep her watch on? That's Helena. Cobel has loyalty to Kier only and not Lumon board or current Egans. She was raised in the school (orphanage?) and seems to have no living family and believes in the teachings as a religion. She's in deep and probably knows too much about the inner operations and she's gotta know about the Lexington letter... so she's dangerous to them but also vulnerable on her own. Bonus Cobel fact: she drives a white Rabbit (VW car). Alright, Alice. I believe Milkshake lives at the Lumon office. Not sure what to do with that.
Another great episode recap. I love your commentary. I watch some of the other stuff out there about Severance, but keep coming back to you. But oh! How about a big shout out to the new opening title animations.
Did anyone else notice Milchick’s shadow? There is a scene with Seth subtly reflected in a windowsill. Then the actor turns but the reflection doesn’t. Did I find an Easter egg or just an editing fail?
You mean when Drummond says "the board is gonna give him what he wants"? I rewatched the whole scene while looking at Milchick's reflection and it turns at the same time as him
Helly's innie's last memory was actually her being her being tackled, hence her falling out of the elevator. Why would outie helly even come of the elevator that way? We saw how she entered it, there's no reason why she'd randomly run out.
I don't think Helena knows Mark on the outside. Remember in S01E01, he nearly runs her over in the parking lot after work? They didn't recognise each other at all. I read the scene where she watches her innie kiss Mark as, as you said, intrigue, and something else. A touch of sadness or jealousy?
11:00 I wonder how Milchick delivered all of those edible arrangements (or just pineapples lol) on that motorcycle, considering he did the same to Irv and Dylan after meeting Mark. Did he drop one off, head back to Lumon to get another edible arrangement, rinse and repeat? Or did he somehow haul all of them in one go? Either way, that guy is very persistent at what he does
My theory on Cold Harbor is that Mark S is uniquely adept at working on files related to Ms Casey beacause of Mark's connection to Charlotte. The information on the screen at the end of episode 1 shows the file was 65% complete after just 25 mins, when the average time it takes to complete is 6 weeks. That's why they needed him back to work on Cold Harbor and why he's so important to Lumen in general. In season one, Dylan G mentions Mark S's "freshman fluke" to Helly R. The audio of the ensuing conversation becomes distorted in the show as we start to see Irving's black paint hallucination, but a cleaned up version can be found on youtube. Dylan G explains that when Mark S first started at Lumen, he set a record by completing a file in a day. Lumen reverse engineered a process based on what he did, which made it easier for everyone to refine files more quickly; reducing the average file from 7 weeks to 6. We know the Cold Harbor file is related to Ms Casey and it's possible the "freshman fluke" file was as well; maybe even her first iteration after Charlotte's death, before she was returned to the training floor. Mark S presumably started his job shortly after Charlotte's passing. We learn from the Lexington Letter that Lumen has an uncanny ability to reach out to new refiners at exactly the right low moment. Moreover, I think what they're doing by refining the files is isolating the tempers of other severed individuals to make them more compliant or easier to manipulate. I think this is done by reprogramming their severance chips to alter their personalities. In Lexington letter, there seems to be a direct link between the completion of a file and someone carrying out some kind of corporate espionage/terror attack against a rival company. When Cobel shows Petey's recovered chip to Graner in season 1, they both say "that's Petey" - not "Petey's chip", "Petey" as if the chips actually contain something of the person's identity.
13:14 I thought she was Outie Helena until she told Innie Mark that they are not the same as their Outies and owe them nothing. I think she lied about what her Innie saw because she doesn't want the team to view her as trader.
My theories: Irvin’s outie is an undercover agent for a yet undisclosed government agency or something else. Helena jealous of Helly R, disabled her chip or the device that switches it on in the elevator to remain herself and she will also pursue outie Mark for a relationship. Natalie is Devin’s wife, her voice sounded like hers. Cobel-vig will have a redemption arc and become an Ally to Mark and an enemy to Lumon with the power to take them down. The child is the artificially inseminated daughter of Mark and Gemma.Burt whom followed Irvin may suspect something wrong with Lumon and will ally with outie Irvin to find out. Jame Eagan has the consciousness of Kier in his head and is why when Helly said “Father” he seemed to “snap out of it”. The “board” is the digitized consciousness of the previous CEO’s. The temporary innie replacements for MDR will show back up to take over that purple room to do something new.
When Mark meets with his sister in the diner he did say he ID'd the body. But when he turned it on her he said "What if you had to look at Rickens Burned Body!" I think Gemmas body was a "plant" that was burned too much to really tell for him.
Its also confirmed that pips is owned by lumon and they have it monitored because thats where mark and his sister talk about gemma being alive possibly and the next scene we see milkshake asking mark if he remembers anything about his wife. SUS. How much of the outside world is monitored? The creator was inspired by truman show and im almost certain thats how he incorporated it in this show, through shops like pips.
Notice all the ice symbolism. The huge blue wall of Kier's head and then it turns grey. The ice behind Cobel's desk in season 1 and kiers head. In op baby kier has ice on his head. His head is frozen walt disney style and they are defrosting him.
Hey, great recap. But watch the season 1 finale again. The name "Burt Goodman" is already written down on the map, including the cross. So no, Irving's innie didn't write it down, but his outie already had. However, it was surely a surprise when Irving's outtie woke up again and found himself in front of Burt's door. That surely got him thinking and wondering.
15:15 Lumon did “wrong her” in last season when she was let go she went home and destroyed her kier shrine in that shrine was a breathing tube with the name “Charlotte Cobel” on it. this breathing tube is likely the same kind of breathing tube mentioned in the lexington letter shortly after season one ended (i highly suggest reading it if you like the show) Lumon had to recall these breathing tubes after many people died because of a manufacturing defect. So in essence Lumon killed Cobelvigs mother.
This feels SO likely. Her attachment to outtie mark seems like empathy, and she loves kier but HATES lumon. Maybe because modern lumon did this to her mom? Only thing I feel needs to be connected is her need to prove that reintegration is possible in s1
Best two things i've heard thus far: 1. Helly's elevator trip down to MDR didn't ding on its way down like everyone else's. In fact, it dings only when she arrives, a natural B, not a B flat. Weird. 2. Cold Harbor is a civil war battle. In fact, a lot of MDR's filenames are civil war battles. Siena, Kingsport, Dranesville, all civil war battle sites. Jesup, Bellingham, Cairns, all civil war officers. Lumon was founded in 1865, the year the civil war ended.
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The biggest mystery of this episode was how Lumon managed to remodel the break room and produce a whole ass animated short film over the course of a weekend
And agree everything with Keanu's agent
Wasn't it 5 months?
@@xrisxros747Milchick tells iMark it’s been 5 months in the first episode, but on the second, when speaking to Helena and company he complains he o it had 48 hours to put everything together.
@@xrisxros747 he lied to Mark so it would seem they had time to reform Lunon
Same way they put that security door up at night in season 1
Bro i was literally waiting for your video also i dont think what helena felt was empathy it was Jealousy for her innie
I thought the same because her innie is free and gets to have relationships, friends and love. Notice how they showed that wide shot of Helena in the office at lumon? She looked like a caged bird almost like she’s stuck going with everything even if she doesn’t want to.
It's a mix between curiosity and jealousy at the same time for me. I think she's very intrigued by how someone, he considered subhuman, is living a richer life than her; and I think she wants that too. But I do think she'll be manipulating Mark to keep him working on "Cold Harbor" along with the rest of the characters. But her personal desires might seep in.
@@eldritchmonsters ohhh that’s a good theory
@@positivelight_ ooo good observation 😱
I don’t think it was jealousy, but fascination that Helena experienced when seeing Helly and Mark kiss.
Not a theory so much as an observation: the innie/outie relationship for each character seems to be of (literal) inner child vs experienced adult. Mark is friendly and optimistic, but life has turned outie Mark bitter and sarcastic. Innie Dylan is bragadocious and loves prestige and prizes, but outie Dylan seemingly can’t get a decent job and took a severed job out of desperation, even though it holds a stigma, in order to support his family. Innie Irving is inspired by and devoted to the authority structure over his life, and truly believes. Outie Irving is suspicious enough of those same things to be investigating Lumon. Innie Helly is independent and resists authority. Outie Helly puts up with all kinds of stress and abuse to please her father and tow the line.
Nice observation!
Yeah, I came here to say all that but you got it all in before me!
great analysis, i totally agree and think s2 is subverting on the commentary of s1 (innies as slaves) to portray outies as “trapped”. And other peoples theories about sleep as a connecting mechanism is so cool!!
I love this!
this is heavily implied since they are literally the age of whenever they started waking up on the conference table. thus, Ms Huang could still easily out-age some of them even.
I think a big detail missed is when Milchick talked about how happy innie mark is.
It’s the complete opposite conversation that Outie mark and Petey had with each other. That petey told mark that he brings the sadness with him to work. That they joked with him that he was allergic to the elevator due to his eyes always being puffy at the beginning of work.
I think mark does not believe milchick one bit.
He decided to go back to work not because Milchick convinced him. But because he needs innie mark to continue what they started.
To figure out what’s truly going on with Lumon.
i missed this too, great catch
Yes, awesome catch!
Nice catch! I defs think that his conversation with Milchick is what started him on the path of discovering what happened to Gemma - it was too much of a coincidence for her to be brought up just then, and then his interaction with Cobelvig just confirms that there's more to her death than he thought.
amazing catch.
I agree and thought this as well: Mark literally sees the other Mark getting fired and shouting “FU Lumen” - after all he just had been through, wouldn’t this have been enough to confirm that this is a crappy place? He was even singing with Alexa FU Lumen…yet he goes in anyway. This can’t be just because of Milkshake…
“Fetid moppets“ is an anagram for “Pip fed me tots“. I just knew that the mysteries of Severance are related to tater tots.
Where do waffles fit in to this
Tater tots go really well with waffles.
Brilliant, we're gonna crack this case wide open!!
Pip's is the restaurant in town.....dayum
@@ZerofeverOfficial originally it was a nickname for one of the historical Eagans. So, I was served tater tots at the restaurant? Or did a re-animated Eagan corpse, resurrected and immortalized by some evil Lumon technology, put them into my mouth? Maybe Frankenstein Eagan fed me *in* the restaurant? And are these tater tots, or does “tots“ refer to children? Are the Eagans cannibals? Is Lumon snack food the modern Soylent Green? Tin foil hats on, Innies.
It should be noted that a) having this episodes all about the outies is brilliant, b) it was beautifully shot and c) cleverly edited. Love this series.
Frolic is one of keir's 4 tempers.
Also saw a really awesome theory on the severance subreddit...irv's outtie is communicating with his innie via his watch. Irvs dad (edit: irv was actually in the navy!)was in the navy and they use a flag communication system called semaphore which is essentially like the hands of of a clock that represents letters. In ep 2 they focus on irv putting on his watch before he enters the elevator... the show also seems to focus a lot on the clock at the security guys desk. I think the show makers may even be using semaphore to spell something out with the security guard's clock
Woahhh
Really good perspective!
How is he using watch to communicate with his innie when they switch watches. Frolic tattoo may have come from him overcoming those urges.
@@JohnSmith-bq6nf maybe he’s changing the time on his innie watch before he goes down?
@ How would his innie know navy code? I can only think that he could go by open door and send code to some outside person like who he is working with?
Man you do the best recaps. I’ve been glued to your channel. Also you got a great voice!
I agree - such a soothing voice!
On the mark id’d Gemma’s body front, I think it’s interesting that he follows up with “if ricken dies and his body was burned” which makes me think that mark did id the body but it was probably in an unrecognizable state and he had to id her through her clothes, etc. meaning it probably wasn’t Gemma’s body
It could mean either that it wasn’t her body, or it could attest to lumons ability to reconstruct a corpse. It’s probably the latter though because whatever the circumstances were, they’re seeing enough doubt in mark that he’d ask cobelvig about it
Or he saw her body (obviously didnt check for vitals or anything) and then only THOUGHT it was burned because they told him it was. There was a sad story in Georgia years ago of a crematorium that told families that they cremated their loved ones but didnt
Yes very plausible
I agree with @@Getwright- I reckon he was told she was cremated but in reality they kept the body and used it for their experiments rather than her body being burnt from the crash.
Yes! 👏 I couldn’t believe this wasn’t mentioned in this video! It was the new piece of info in this episode that MOST excited me.
I was sad that none of the commentaries I've watched for episode 2 mentioned that Dan Erickson (who created the show) actually worked in a door factory, and that it was during this job that he came up with the idea of Severance. I thought it was a fantastic little easter egg.
I've seen so many recaps, only one or two mentions Dan working in the door factory.
If they didn’t listen to the podcast, how would they know? Does he just go around saying this in all interviews?
@@KPbouj I've heard it mentioned multiple times from different videos & interviews, either from Ben Stiller or Dan himself, but you make a good point - if people only watch the show itself then yeah this little in-joke is going to slip past them.
But when it slips past someone who makes detailed and insightful commentaries, and who presumably watches more than the show itself, then yeah it makes me sad.
Just wanted to come here to say you've been my go to channel for everything Severance since its release. Thank you for all your work!
I'm locked in on Helena going down to MDR instead of Helly because:
- The elevator doesn't ping when she goes down in this episode, despite pinging for the first three.
- She's always the one to bring up how there is no surveillance in the rooms and encouraging the others to speak freely, even saying that Milchik (a man she has zero reason to trust) said there were no listening devices in the room where they watched the video.
- She couldn't find the switch on the computer.
- She has no reason to not reveal to her coworkers that she's an Eagan; Knowing Helly, she would definitely find a way to use that as leverage to take Lumon down.
- Her clothes this season are more in line with Lumon standards (wearing blues and greys) when in season one she wore more warm colours, perhaps out of Helena's rebellious nature or simply because the rules don't apply to her since she's an Eagan. It almost feels like she's consciously trying to not draw attention to herself.
- When Mark tells about Ms. Casey / Gemma, she says, "What are YOU going to do?" and generally doesn't use language that suggests solidarity with the Innies.
BONUS THEORY: I think Innie Irving already knows that something's different about Helly and may not trust her, as he's the one to question her story and even waits until he and Dylan are in another part of the building to whisper into his ear what he saw during the OTC.
Good stuff! I think they are leaving it ambiguous about whether she's Helena or Helly to stoke our theories. It is plausible to me that Helly is so shaken to discover she's the daughter of the CEO - for the first time repeating the apology from the Break Room sincerely when she does - that she would be ashamed to admit it to her innie comrades - at least when put on the spot she makes up a cover story. This might be why "night gardener" is a detail she misses. If she is Helena it seems like she'd have used her time to manufacture a plausible story vs. a spontaneous one; then again, Helena's "night gardener" slip could be because she has no idea how regular people live. It probably is Helena, but I don't want it to be - it also seems like it would be a lot more difficult for her to "play" Helly considering how diametrically opposed their values and ambitions are. (I like to think that Helly is Helena's true self minus the life of cult programming she's experienced, a "nature vs. nurture" kind of thing.)
@@markc.7984 I thought the exact same thing at first, but then I rewatched the season 1 finale, and Helly's moment in the mirror doesn't read as shame for me. In that moment, she's reciting the speech, but she's using it to hype herself up; She knows that her outtie was a part of what she and other innies like her are going through, so she gathers herself and is more ready than ever to take Lumon down and right Helena's wrongs. I don't think Helly would hide that from her friends, I think she would absolutely be like, "Listen, my outtie's got sway out there, she's a god damn Eagan, and we're gonna use that to our advantage somehow." Also, even if she didn't want to reveal her Eagan identity, she still learned a LOT at the gala that she would definitely let the rest of them in on by pretending that her outtie was some random rich person at the banquet. The night gardener thing feels like such a sheltered rich person thing to say as well, because remember, it's Irving (another innie with no outside world experience) who questions that detail. I don't think we can chock it up to innie ignorance. (Innignorance, if you will)
Yes you’re back!!! I was looking for your vids when the season began and didn’t see them and got worried you were gonna miss this AMAZING SEASON!! Honestly of all the folks covering Severance your content was my preferred vid to watch!
@ 6:14 Helena and “outie” Mark ran into each other in the parking lot of lumon season 1. She’s probably realizing she’s met him before.
That's an interesting thought, but surely she would have already recognised carpark Mark in the promo pictures shown in Helly's "A Severed Story" display. It's reasonable to assume she would have signed off on them or at least seen them before gala night.
As high up in the company as she is, Helena definitely knows all about Gemma and whatever Cold Harbor is, so there’s a good chance she’s known who Mark is for years
I think Helena has been severed into 3 people
@@TheLegendofGumby But it doesn’t mean they know each other, and obviously that car incident was the first time they met.
She mentioned be careful its icy, Gemma's car accident was due to icy conditions.
I’m really looking forward to your next video, but am so glad you take your time. The care makes a big difference.
This has probably been mentioned, but in the opening credits, we always see Mark's innie & outtie merge during sleep. It makes me think of Irv & how his outtie life trickles into his innie dreams, when he dozes off at work. The subconscious is a powerful thing, and could wreak havoc on the chips ability.
I have a feeling that Helena seeing Mark's innie kiss her innie might be the first step in convincing her that innies are full people and eventually she will have empathy for them and start to help them against her family and Lumon.
I wonder if Helena has never been in love before. Maybe she's avoided relationships because of the cult? To me it seemed like shock and curiosity, maybe because she's never had that experience
I got the feeling she liked seeing it. She certainly didn't seem to disapprove -- she smiled. I wonder if Helena the outtie will become a more ambiguous character with empathy for the innies.
I think she leads a totally controlled life and probably has not been in love. Maybe never had a physical relationship.
I'm starting to think maybe the Eagans get their personality transplanted into the next of kin when they die.
And Helena is not looking forward to it.
that was my take from her reaction as well
@@francescaa8331im with you on this theory. The revolving
@raining_trees i think you’re right! during the after credits interviews, the actress mentions that helena lives a very sheltered life so seeing helly live so freely and of her own accord is fascinating and infuriating
Helena looking at Helly kiss Mark was definitely a moment of vulnerability for her and made her reflect on what her outtie life is missing
I agree, I read it as Helena feeling jealous of Helly.
Man so many channels doing severance breakdown but I’ll be waiting for nautilus files. I watched season 1 last fall and followed along with your videos all the way! Fell in love with the content on theories and character vids. I’ll be sticking with nautilus files through season 2
Now we've got actual confirmation that Lumon has something planned with Mark and Gemma. We already basically knew that but getting full confirmation is huge. These first 2 episodes were fantastic and I'm excited for the rest of the season.
It was Helly!! She ran out because she got tackled and was running away. She had trouble blindly finding the switch she couldn’t see (and has to reach over to hit) on the back of her computer (on which she immediately identified was her work space!) for the same reason I’ve have to feel around the back of every computer I’ve had since forever (I’m older than I type) for switches and ports and (despite what Sherlock said in the pilot of Sherlock) had to feel around in the dark and scratch up the power port of every cell phone I’ve ever had - and I’m not a regular drinker! The goddamn *Board* (which possibly lives in her father’s brain) insisted that the original team, including Helly R. (the only one they mentioned!) return, and I doubt that Helena, who is already in trouble, and has been raised to praise Keir and do everything for Lumon, would risk going against their wishes! There are other parts of the theory that I could refute, but I’m done for now. I really want to know how this theory got started!! What was the “cast comments” that you referred to? I am sooo glad that you, my favorite Severance commentator, have not completely made up your mind. Tomorrow I’m going to join your Patreon (unfortunately, I’m pretty broke right now ) so it will probably be a low level. Now I have to sleep! Yaawwn! My innie must have spent time in the break room or dancing too much with Milkshake. idk! Thank you for the video!
Great catches. I think they are specifically prodding us and masking info so that we'll think it's Helena (or at least be debating it), but I can't imagine someone like her being able to so convincingly act like Helly eight hours at a time, not to mention taking her away from all her other Lumon involvements and responsibilities 40 hours a week.
I laughed so hard at the health care line. Thank you so much. These are awesome videos.
Anyone not realizing that us 'merkans don't have universal healthcare and think a terrible disease has to be involved to want and need health insurance for your family of FIVE is killing me 😂
I gotta thank you, Nautti man. I have been working on a project that is a real slog and listening to your dulcet tones talk about Severence is really getting me through the tedium. I need to come back and watch again so I can pay attention. Thanks for your channel. You're tops!
Circle the one that says, all the above!😅
Food is a major issue!! Pineapples, waffles, snacks. This season, i haven't seen anyone eat a proper meal. There is a lack of plants & household pets ( irv does have a 🐕) outside of fish, i think i am the only person who thinks there's something wrong with the food supply in this reality. Ijs a diner where people only drink tea & coffee? Foodless dinner parties? Major easter egg, where it leads i dunno, but bobbing for pineapples? It's weird, to say the least.
They now have salsa NO CHIPS 🤣
@KDrop84 lol... they have chips, but they need tokens to get them #RIPPetey.
I took the food things inside the lumon facility as kind of poking fun at the idea that companies will provide meals and pizza parties and present them like rewards instead of increasing pay or benefits. I think if there is a food issue in this world, it could definitely be a lumon constructed problem. We’ve never seen outside of kier so who knows what their control is doing to the food supply
@hannah-lk3oc great call out. I won't go too far (cannibals) but food is important in our universe. We socialize & fellowship over food. In the severance universe, they simulate meals without eating. Remember those pellets that Pac-Man ate??? Those snacks & waffles etc... those are video game pellets. Ijs. Humans eat.... those fools ain't eating. Everybody is sleeping on the food supply issues in this universe. It's in plain site. Petey was hungry in that convenience store & he was freaking out! He needed tokens!! Food is the key to this show, or I maybe I'm hungry lol.
The emphasis on pineapples this season is definitely pretty weird.
Love seeing your subs grow!
Kinda interesting that outie Irv basically parallels Helly in ep. 1 giving Milchick the ‘night gardener’ reaction, and it’s his innie that is immediately suspicious of Helly for giving that reaction. It’s like he might be some of a secret agent before he got severed and his innie got this instinct to recognise coverup stories.
I really love how so many of the characters are wild eccentrics. The behavior is nuts, but completely enthralling to observe.
I think Irving and Burt were romantically involved on the outside, and when Burt opened the door, he saw a man he used to love. When Irving came to I imagine he wasn't exactly forthright in explaining how he actually ended up there. A revelation like this could explain why Burt appeared to be crying while watching Irv from his car. Maybe a part of him still misses his former partner, or perhaps he knows that Irving works a severed position at Lumon, and was able to surmise that his recent departure was somehow related to Irving's unexpected arrival. Even if it's just a gut feeling, the idea that their love could be strong enough to cross the boundary of these men's severed lives is quite touching.
Interesting. I also thought Burt looked like he was crying when he was sitting in the car. I haven't seen anybody else mention that.
Burt's name was already on the map when Innie Irv found it during the OTC. First he was looking at the list of severed employees, and Burt was one that he had an address for. When he unfolded the map, we saw the writing on it.
Outie Irving found it in his pocket and may now know that Innie Irving is the one who put it there.
Did anyone note how strange it was that innie Burt could drive (and follow road rules), despite never having done it before? I guess it because a subconscious instinct that bled through from his outtie.
@@dougfraser77 I think that’s the point they were showing us in the very beginning when Helly answered the 5 questions. One was to name any US state. They aren’t blank slates. To me it’s like people with amnesia. They can read, write etc. they just don’t remember certain things.
Who has noticed something about bees? Ricken was telling Mark about “the funny bees”, one of the contingencies was called “beehive”, amd there was a bee poster in the new breakroom. Forget the goats, what’s up with bees?
Anyone else realize that the interview with the door guy proves that Milkshake was lying about the Outies being famous?
I didnt even pick up on that, but i think the rest of episode 2 also confirms that, by showing that mark just seemed to be worried for the baby, dylan stayed a bit of overtime, and irv was some guy who knocked on a door, even the helena situation seemed to be bottled with her down-playing apolology. In other words, of course they aren't famous, there is no reform, it hasn't been 5 months, its been a single weekend
i mean i thought that was obviously a lie?
I mean, obviously. It wasn't 5 months. It was only a few days. Mark didn't even miss a single day or work. There isn't any need to prove that it was a lie. It was shown to us directly.
@SpahGaming Yeah, I noticed that the season hadn't changed at all.
You don’t need to realise it, literally the whole episode shows it directly. If someone had doubts after that photoshopped photo from the last episode.
My theory is that Helena deep down is NOT down with becoming the next Lumon CEO. That maybe she has very little choice in her prescribed life as an Eagan and has to fall in line with whatever her father pressures her to do (noted by how he treats her.) And that her seeing the video of her innie and Mark kissing triggers a deep sadness about never getting to be free and perhaps never getting to fall in love or choose a partner… so it’s also possible that she does enter the severed floor as Helena secretly so she can experience that love and passion for herself without even Lumon knowing - since the board told her to go as “Helly”. So I think that Helena will later help to sabotage Lumon’s plans and work with the other outies. Because after all her inner Helly is a subconscious reflection of some part of her natural urge to rebel.
I like this theory
If you turn on the subtitles you can see exactly what Irv said in the phone booth.
Ooooh WHAT DID HE SAY???
(I don't have Apple TV, I watch it at a friend's house so I can't check myself until next week)
@@lemony3719he says something like “okay you’re not picking up, I get it. I wanted you to know that innie irv got the message”
@@ShifaAaquil Thanks!
I still think helly is in fact, Helly R. You missed the spot where Natalie pushes her away on stage, and that’s the reflex her innie gets when she goes off the elevator. And I think Helly is pretty disgusted of who she is on the outside, that’s why she lied 👀
All I hope for this show is that the rabbit hole goes deeper than we can imagine.With all these theories it feels like someone may have cracked the code but I hope that there is misdirection and misleading stuff baked in. It’s fun finding out what things symbolize and mean that never gets boring. But I hope the mystery grows even bigger. What a great show. Phenomenal.
There are a lot of theories along the lines of "Cobel secretly hates lumon and wants to take them down because they did something to her mother (presumed Charlotte)", but I have a different theory, Cobel is super invested in Lumon and Mark/Gemma because Charlotte (whoever that is) is in a similar situation ad Gemma, and she's hoping that Lumon macro data refining thing can be used to not only bring Charlotte back but also restore her memories of Cobel. That's why she's trying so hard to see if she can trigger memories in Ms. Casey/innie Mark. She believes in Kier and she wants this to work, but her motives are more selfish than fanatical.
I agree and that would explain how desperately conflicted she’s been, and all of her outbursts and intense pain. Grief makes people break. Plus she seemed to care about Mark but then goes bananas because she realizes if she saves him she loses the progress on her own family member.
One of the little things I loved about Mark's confrontation with Cobelvig is the confirmation that her cookies were awful. Mark did such a good job of masking his reaction in S1 when he called them "magical".
@@felicityflash😂😂
Could be both. I've always thought a part of it is that Cobel is a "true believer" in Kier (and severance and everything), but she's not totally convinced of Lumon and the Board. As in she considers herself righteous and the corp as corrupt. But she has to try to work inside because of Charlotte, and possibly to keep Lumon as pure Eaganian? Kierian?
One of the weirdest parts of the episode for me was when Rebekk told Ricken not to punish the baby. I’m wondering what people are thinking about that
She's banana pants crazy. All his friends are 😂
The actress playing Gretchen has been announced. Her name's Merritt Wever. She's been in other stuff, and we haven't seen her before in Severance, so she won't be someone we've already met as a surprise.
Nurse Jackie
I wonder if it really just comes down to like a budget thing with the show. That with her indeed just being an additional support character (and not some impending twist itself), they simply have her do this set of lines as voice only instead of shooting an insert shot of her at home because it was cheaper since that's all she's got for this episode. Presumably we'll see her properly on camera at some point
I think they’re purposefully holding back with Dylan’s stuff and this just adds to it. My thought is that maybe the reveal isn’t WHO but what or why. I feel like the setting and family situation is going to be more unique than you’d expect but I’m not sure yet what the answer is
I love her!!!
Does anyone else get the sense there's something not quite right with Milichick? Yes, I know he's trying to hide things but when he's interacting with Mark and Devin he comes off as if he's having to remind himself what humans sound like and behave? He's always been creepy but I thought I felt that way because of the circumstances and environment below the surface. But in an episode surrounded by outies, he sticks out.
On an unrelated note, I can't wait to see what's up with the pineapples! Reminds me of Psych! 😂
I think he is fully severed but stuck as an innie
over the past several weeks, I binged 3 shows, that being from, silo, then severance in that order and it's cool how your recent uploads reflects that chronology perfectly lol
Found your channel a couple of weeks ago. Enjoying your analysis of these episodes. You have a great voice.
Another YT channel called "The Faceless Girl" had the theory that Helly is actually like the trapped princess. She says she is lonely and looked to by her family as the one to continue their work and legacy but she is very isolated and actually feels jealous over Helly's freedom and ability to love and do as she pleases. I think this makes sense. As when she replays the kiss in the video she glances out the door to see if anyone is watching, before replaying the kiss and smiling to herself...
There is a reason they showed her fumble finding the on button. That was a choice to put that in …and now I’m leaning towards it being Helena.
💯
I think they are hiding Gretchen because in next episodes we will see Dylan being visited at work by his wife only to later on discover that this visitor is fake
If Dylan's innie is who he really wants to, maybe Helena's innie is who she really wants to be. A rebel who hates authority figures and wants to be independent.
Mark seems the same both in and out... but I would say that Mark's different on the inside in that he's not afraid to live life. Mark on the outside is afraid to move on without his wife. So the inner Mark is Freer to have fun and play around. The outer mark would never play games like that with somebody, but you could see how the outer Mark got his wife the way he deals with Helly.
Maybe that's an effect of severance, you become the you without the fears that hold you back.
Helly is afraid of her father and obeys him but really she wants to do the opposite. So maybe if Mark could spark a feeling of self worth in Helena, she might start standing up to her father.
The You You Are.
Oh interesting. And if like another poster said they get handed down the Kier family personality at the revolving, maybe she fights it and decides to become her innie self all the time.
I was so glad to see that you’d posted a video for this episode!
Like you, I think that Helena is secretly going in because she wants to receive affection from Mark. The way she reacted when he hugged her was like she was shocked to be embraced, since she’s probably not had a lot of affection shown to her by her father. But also, she might be in an unhappy or arranged marriage. IMDB shows her name as Helly Riggs, but that may not be accurate.
A “few” more thoughts that I have-
1. Milchick screwed-up when he mentioned Gemma. Mark was pretty steadfast with the idea that she was definitely dead. When Milchick mentioned her, I feel that piqued his interest. Then Cobel’s reaction to him asking about Gemma, pretty much confirmed that something was up.
2. I think Mark will get back in touch with Reghabi and ask her to reintegrate him. Then he’ll be able to access his innie’s memories to find out if Gemma being alive is true.
3. Nowadays, if people are asked to identify a body, they don’t see the body in person, it’s fine through photos. Lumen could easily doctored the pictures.
4. I think Gemma is a Lumen employee, and was one long before she met Mark. Helena says “she’s one of us” to Mark. But she was speaking as talking about them being innies. Since Helena’s a Lumen person, that would make her “one of us” remark elude to Gemma as a Lumen person, too. When Mark was taping her picture back together, he mentioned things that he loved about, stating that he loved them all equally. That’s the same verbiage that Ms. Casey used. Maybe Gemma designed the way that wellness center visits are carried out.
5. I think Gemma may turn out to be a bad guy. Maybe her relationship with Mark was a set-up for Lumen, so they could test how loss affects a person’s mind. She may even turn out to be a bad guy. I don’t see the show having a love triangle between Mark, Helly, & Gemma. With evil Gemma out of the way, reintegrated Mark will be able to be with Helly R. without issue.
6. I don’t think Dylan has money issues. I think he was just super concerned about being able to continue providing for his family, since he was now unemployed. It would be difficult to break the news of being fired to your spouse, especially having kids to take care of, and if you’re the breadwinner. The door guy said that Dylan had a lot of short term positions, so I don’t think that Dylan got a severed job because he was struggling, it was probably because it was a sure thing; a way that he could have steady employment. Innie Dylan is, as he says, “good at my job.” Maybe outie Dylan wasn’t good at his work at previous jobs.
7. Irving has worked at Lumen for 7 years. Burt mentioned in his retirement video that he was with Lumen for almost 7 years. I’m guessing that they definite know each other on the outside. Maybe they were a couple but Irving’s obsession with Lumen’s activities drove Burt away.
8. When Irving was making his phone call, I think he was calling Burt. I’m pretty sure that Burt answered the door and probably told him to stop coming around there. Irving might have told him that it was his innie but Burt didn’t believe him and said, “well, tell your “innie” to stop coming around here.” So when Irving calls him, he says “my *innie* got the message.
9. Next episode will likely focus on Irving. He, Helly and Mark were the 3 to get out, and each episode starts with the last works before getting switched back over. We’ve gotten 2 episodes showing what transpired with innie & outie Mark, and outie Helly. Now they need to do the same with Irving.
10. I think Mr. Milchick’s “it’s been 5 months” lie will get figured out by the innies. They made a point of having Dylan talk about how he was tackled so bad and hurt his head. Dylan may realize that his head still hurts from that, so it’s hasn’t been long since they were last at Lumen.
11. Helena isn’t happy with her life. She was likely forced by her father or the board, to become severed. She likely doesn’t have a say in what she does. Plus, she probably really desires to have her father’s approval. To prove that she is worthy and capable of getting whatever they ask her to do, done successfully. I doubt she wanted to go back to work after the hanging but needed to because she didn’t want her father to think that she was a failure. She didn’t want to disappoint him. Probably why she didn’t mention it to him or the board, and they didn’t know until 3 weeks later. Even when she was in the break room, she heard a “grumbling old man’s voice” I believe she said, whereas Dylan heard a baby crying. She was probably hearing her father’s disapprovals of her.
12. I think that Lumen’s end goal is to get everyone in the world severed, without needing to insert chips into their heads.
13. I bet the Family Visitation Suite is just photos of the family and ‘facts’ about them, posted on the walls like exhibits in a museum. Mr. Milchick even says, after Dylan asked if he’ll be able to SEE his family there, “if you take it at face value” so they’ll just _see_ their family, they don’t be there in person.
14. I hope we get more of Petey’s story through flashbacks. Maybe Mark will go back and tell his family what he knows about Petey’s final days.
15. I loved Mark calling out Cobelvig’s nasty cookies. 😂
16. Milchick thought he was slick by telling the innies that they could choose to quit, when he knew good and well that he was manipulating them- making them/prisoners feel like they are free, so that he could make them feel like they have a choice, like Cobelvig was doing when she let them roam the halls.
17. When Mr. Milchick went to Devon’s house to talk to Mark, I like the way Devon shifted the focus to expressing anger about Cobelvig intruding on her family by pretending to be a lactation consultant. She believes that Gemma may very well be alive, so, as not to allude to innie Mark saying something about Gemma, she made it seem like he only mentioned Cobelvig being a shady Lumen employee. My thought is that, as others mentioned, Milchick’s helmet may have had a recording device in it. Maybe when he reviews the footage, he’ll see Devon covering Gemma’s photo and figure it out. As I believe that Helena is the one going to work (not Helly R.) so that she can experience being cared for and appreciated, I don’t think that she will reveal to the board that Mark knows about Ms. Casey being Gemma.
Okay, let me take off _my_ Tin foil hat now. 🤭 I’m so ready for episode 3. 😩
I also think Gemma is bad! When Mark talks about Gemma, I can’t remember the episode, I think it’s one of the ones where he is dating the other girl (who I don’t think we’ve seen the last of) but he described Gemma. She didn’t sound nice at all. She sounded like someone that Mark idolised but didn’t know very well. So I think she was working for lumen for a while before she “died”
@ Glad I’m not the only one who thinks she’s a bad person! 😅 The show doing the whole ‘making her seem so wonderful’ through Mark’s and Devon’s eyes has got to be misdirection.
A lot of points here but I just wanted to say that I agree, I think Irving was calling Burt! I haven’t seen anyone else saying it, but I can’t see why he would start with “You’re not picking up, I get it” if he was talking to someone he was working with about getting Lumon info. The way he says “I get it” implies that he knew him on the outside, maybe they had a relationship before, and he was trying to apologize for his innie’s actions. But Burt doesn’t pick up because he’s lurking around in that car at night, lol. I think these two are destined lovers in all versions of reality, innie or outie- but I digress…
@@ElenaMcMuffin Yes, exactly!
Same about the cookies I’ve watched the episode three times and bust out laughing every time he gets real with her because those cookies looked dry af lol it’s hilarious
No one is talking about sleep enough!! Currently on a rewatch, here are my clues!
- Petey isn’t sleeping well in the greenhouse and his reintegration is going haywire
- Irving dozing at work and seeing paint, with a heavy emphasis on the punishment for him doing so (could tie back to the “my innie got the message” because he’s been trying to leave the elevator clue for his innie to observe somehow through repetition)
- End credit song of S1 E2 is “daydream I feel asleep under the flowers”
-Cobelvig mentions getting more sleep to mark outtie
- In the break room when they are tired, helly hears voices (Jame), Dylan hears crying babies, this is more evidence of outtie conscious bleeding into their minds when their brain is exhausted
- The new S2 title sequence is a whole sequence of sleep symbolism!! Start and end mark sits on the bed, section of mark sleeping in a bed and his innie and outtie on his chest
- Bonus IRL, the act of sleep and dreaming is the brains way of processing memories! Which to me, ties the whole thing together.
I think sleep is going to be an important part of this plot! Either they use it to help gain knowledge and blend/blur the boundaries of Severance innies and outies. Or this is part of the plot, and what Lumon is really do with the innies.
There are probably more things but… Thank you for coming to my TED talk
Please do an episode on the new intro!
My theory about Helly R.'s inconsistencies, including running off the elevator, is that she was in fact woken up with the overtime contingency at a bistro with Milchick before returning to the severed floor... to be threatened with what? Also remember Mark S. was told it had been 5 months since their stunt when Milchick revealed in this episode it had been 48 hours. Confirmed by the anger of Mark W. over breaking his lease to relocate only to be let go again. I'm so glad I found your channel for everyone's creative input. One of the only channels I'm willing to read through the comments section. Great content here.
yes! why is nobody talking about the fact that from what we can tell the 5 month skip was bs
I noticed when they showed the OG team going down the elevator, you heard the severance *ding* as Mark, Dylan, and Irv went down. But when Helly went down there was no ding to show she flipped over to her severed mind. It’s definitely Helena down there.
💯
I think initially it was her severed then later they remote switched her so she could infiltrate the group for info.
I've heard this a lot....Personally I don't buy this theory! if it IS somhow true, they;re gonna half to work hella hard to pull it off imo...I think they just did that for dramatic effect to end it on a cliffhanger!
I wasn't fully convinced until this scene, now I'm all in on Helena being the one down there.
After reading your comment, I rushed to rewatch because I also believe it's Helly down there. However, the elevator does ring when Helly arrives-it rings for everyone, including her.
Did you notice:
1. during the Pips conversation, Mark reveals that the body he IDed that he assumed was Gemma was badly burned up - i.e. some other burned up female corpse of similar height/weight/etc. could've been used (ew! But we know Cobel is down to drill into corpse skulls so....) to cover that they have her down in the experimental floor 24/7.
2. on those few flashing frames of Cold Harbor, we see that the four boxes under each of the five progress bars are the four Tempers, abbreviated to two-letter labels?
3. also from that frame it suggests that Gemma is one of five subjects - we see the ID number that starts with 02 at the top, and again above the heart rate and other vitals, perhaps indicating that the monitor is currently showing the stats (and picture) of one of the five subjects of Cold Harbor.
4. so the Refiners are somehow building/rebuilding the balance of tempers for each of the five subjects - one of whom is Jemma - which would explain why the numbers make the Refiners "feel things.” As mentioned in the Orientation Handbook, they're using their instincts i.e. detecting the clusters of the different Tempers (basically sadness, fear, joy, and hatred) to somehow “sort” into the (clean slate?) consciousnesses/personalities of the five Cold Harbor subjects.
5. “Cold Harbor” is the name of a battle from the Civil War that took place just a couple years before Kier founded Lumon to make “topical salves.” Make of that what you will.
The way jame looks at Helena around when he called her a moppet seemed purposeful. More than just a scolding. He goes through numerous different emotions. Terror, confusion, I don't know. but if he was directed to act all those certain ways, it might be worth pondering why...
Probably more than 1 dude in there feeling that all out at the same time. It is the "board" after all...
These folks drop more dead language than Gilmore girls
He is an alien.
When she called him father he looks SCARED of her
He is just one really weird dude. Even in the final episode of season one he seemed "heavily medicated" for want of a better term.
Thanks so much for your vids! Your pov & delivery is refreshing.
hello there Mr Nautilus! Glad to hear your warm voice with our fav show.
Cobelvig's scream was very spooky.
real tanzanian devil type
My favorite Severance breakdown videos!!
My Dylan theory is that his wife or one of his children have serious health issues or a chronic condition. Of course he wants health care but it's the very first thing he asks. Not about pay. Not about a retirement plan or paid time off or anything else. And the look on his face and outward expression of relief in his response reaffirmed my theory. Could be totally wrong, but it could also explain his willingness to sever. I'm sure Lumon has great health coverage. 😂
I have the same theory. Glad I’m not alone on this.
People in the US just need health insurance. No chronic health issues or diseases required. Especially if you have a wife and three kids 🤷🏼♀️
Lumon also pays up to four times as much as comparable jobs.
I was thinking this, too! When Helly and Dylan discuss what the Break Room is like for them in Season 1, she says she hears an old, mumbly guy and Dylan says he hears a baby.
I figure during the Break Room sessions they somehow connect to their motivations for being there. In Helly's case, it's her father, in Dylan's case it's his (most likely sick) baby.
5:44 wdym "did innie Irving do this?" We saw him find the papers in his locked chest, there were lists of svrd employees with addresses for some and the map where all the names were marked.
Was anyone else slightly hypmotized by the slow transitions in this episode? I loved them except for the Milchick motorcycle cutting diagonally across Irving's THROAT. I got a chill! 😬
Guys. Hear me out. I was just rewatching S1Ep3 and noting how strident Helly is to get out of there. At one point she doesn't believe her outie denied her resignation request. She says, "My outie wouldn't do that to me." It made me wonder why the Eagans would let one of their own be severed. I mean, they know it's a terrible thing that makes people into part-time slaves. Helena *must* have been a troublemaker and they made her get severed as a way to both control her, punish her, and use her as a PR trick. This jives with how Natalie questions her at the Gala about her drinking. She's not quite trusted by the fam. And in this episode, she records her apology like it's definitely not the first time she's ever had to lie and apologize on camera. Def not her first rodeo. She's a fetid moppet. She's the family screw up. But maybe she's the only living heir. She has to be controlled. Also I'm definitely catching more and more reasons to think Cobel is working against Lumon and trying to get Mark to remember his outie life.
amazing observations and theory.
@Ladybugparty Merci!
Does Drumend look like rickens older brother to anyone else?
Love your channel so much. Great video as per usual. I’ve been playing your severance playlist in the background while I work. lol.
Oh my, I am enjoying these recaps, as usual
Call her Helena when it’s not Helly!
I wonder if anything interesting happened at 5X besides the fact they were bad workers, Drummond sounded shocked when he heard it 🤷🏽♂️
Me too. Not sure why they have such a bad reputation. I'm from Michigan so I got so excited to think we have a Lumon connection! 🤓 Plus the painting, Kier Invites You To Drink Of His Waters look like he's standing over the mitten state and the great lakes 🤯
Been bingeing your videos, very glad to see this upload
Ok my current theory is that the macro team is working in transferring their OWN consciousness to computers. Why? Idk but that’s what o think.
Jame Eagan’s confusion when Helena addresses him as “Father” gave me the impression that Jame Eagan believed he was speaking to the innie, Helly, when he calls her “fetid moppet.” (A rather antiquated epithet, no?)
I think all the consciences of the past Eagan's live in him
What’s good?! Happy to be here. Thanks for making fantastic videos :-)
4:58 that scene creeped me out when Milchick showed up! reminded me of when Lalo showed up at Jimmy's and Kim's Apt on BCS 😵💫
Damn great comparison. Lalo was an incredible villain
The door thing is a nod to the writer Dan Erickson. He was miserable and created the show while he was working for a door company and wished he could make the day go faster through compartmentalization or forgetting the hours he was at work.
I read that, how subtle. I can't help but think of Monsters Inc. though and the door factory scene. Fear was an energy source. And Helly packages fear numbers. Hmmmm
@@robcampbell2164 Yes, I did, as well.
I don't think Jame cursed at Helena but at the innie which they hate. The gala was over but he might've been notified much later. When Helena says "Father?", he realises his mistake and looks ashamed. There is no true evidence of him hosting any other CEOs yet.
Definitely think Drummond is Frolic, Graner might've been Malice or Dread and Natalie might be Malice also as she's quite malicious. Also i think in that scene with Mark and Devin in Pips he said Gemmas corpse was burned, most likely pretty badly, so it could be someone else Mark identified?
Yes, I think Gemma was in a coma and they took her to Lumon. And they substituted a burned body.
I think we'll find he's covered with creepy Eagan tattoos 😬
You didn’t mention that Devon’s baby is referred to as “it,” by the woman leaving their party. You’re my favorite Severance recap channel. ❤
Rebeck is super weird. 😂 But I think her calling the baby “it” was not really meant to mean much. Also, both Ricken and Mark called the baby “it” before, too.
In season 1 when Ricken is talking about the 3 beds, he says “if you provide said child with all of IT’S beds upon birth…”
And Mark joked with Devon, after she apologized for having him go to the dinner-less dinner, he says, “Well since your baby is innocent of the atrocities tonight, I’ll wait until after IT is born, to m*rder you.”
And in real life, for years they manufactured celebratory balloons with either “It’s a boy!” or “its a girl!” written on them. I don’t know if they still do or not, though. 🤷🏾♀️
"Don't punish the baby. This wasn't its fault." Rebeck is banana pants. Who punishes a baby? What baby is responsible for its own disappearance? Ricken's friends are from another planet 🤣
@@vitaminj7 They are super looney. 😅 I keep thinking about that one dude saying it was “faux pas” to call World War I, World War I… before WWII even happened. 🤦🏾♀️😂 And then knocking Mark out of the way to run and grab Eleanor, claiming, “I found her! I found your baby! I’m the one who found her.” 🤣🤣
@@yesitislikethat they're such weirdos. The quirkiness of these oddballs is the cherry on top of a scary mystery drama comedy romance show 🙃😁
No elevator tone for Helly, she's wearing a more vibrant blue shirt and she gets to keep her watch on? That's Helena.
Cobel has loyalty to Kier only and not Lumon board or current Egans. She was raised in the school (orphanage?) and seems to have no living family and believes in the teachings as a religion. She's in deep and probably knows too much about the inner operations and she's gotta know about the Lexington letter... so she's dangerous to them but also vulnerable on her own.
Bonus Cobel fact: she drives a white Rabbit (VW car). Alright, Alice.
I believe Milkshake lives at the Lumon office. Not sure what to do with that.
Another great episode recap. I love your commentary. I watch some of the other stuff out there about Severance, but keep coming back to you. But oh! How about a big shout out to the new opening title animations.
The moment I finish the episode I start waiting for your video on that topic
Did anyone else notice Milchick’s shadow?
There is a scene with Seth subtly reflected in a windowsill. Then the actor turns but the reflection doesn’t.
Did I find an Easter egg or just an editing fail?
Oooh Now I need to look 😂
It’s when Helena & Seth are talking to Natalie & Drummond.
What the heck no I didn’t notice that great catch. So creepy.
You mean when Drummond says "the board is gonna give him what he wants"? I rewatched the whole scene while looking at Milchick's reflection and it turns at the same time as him
@@vandelayindustries2971no the one during the day when Natalie is there. After Mark first returns to work I think.
your video is what ive been waiting for. please longer videos LOL
Helly's innie's last memory was actually her being her being tackled, hence her falling out of the elevator. Why would outie helly even come of the elevator that way? We saw how she entered it, there's no reason why she'd randomly run out.
Wake up babe new nautilus files severance video just dropped
Sir. I don’t have time to watch this but need to let you know. We’ve been waiting..👀. Much love for what you do.
Yeyyyy new upload! Nautilus it felt like ages waiting for your video 🥹 please bombard us with more theories
I don't think Helena knows Mark on the outside. Remember in S01E01, he nearly runs her over in the parking lot after work? They didn't recognise each other at all. I read the scene where she watches her innie kiss Mark as, as you said, intrigue, and something else. A touch of sadness or jealousy?
11:00 I wonder how Milchick delivered all of those edible arrangements (or just pineapples lol) on that motorcycle, considering he did the same to Irv and Dylan after meeting Mark. Did he drop one off, head back to Lumon to get another edible arrangement, rinse and repeat? Or did he somehow haul all of them in one go?
Either way, that guy is very persistent at what he does
My theory on Cold Harbor is that Mark S is uniquely adept at working on files related to Ms Casey beacause of Mark's connection to Charlotte. The information on the screen at the end of episode 1 shows the file was 65% complete after just 25 mins, when the average time it takes to complete is 6 weeks. That's why they needed him back to work on Cold Harbor and why he's so important to Lumen in general.
In season one, Dylan G mentions Mark S's "freshman fluke" to Helly R. The audio of the ensuing conversation becomes distorted in the show as we start to see Irving's black paint hallucination, but a cleaned up version can be found on youtube. Dylan G explains that when Mark S first started at Lumen, he set a record by completing a file in a day. Lumen reverse engineered a process based on what he did, which made it easier for everyone to refine files more quickly; reducing the average file from 7 weeks to 6.
We know the Cold Harbor file is related to Ms Casey and it's possible the "freshman fluke" file was as well; maybe even her first iteration after Charlotte's death, before she was returned to the training floor. Mark S presumably started his job shortly after Charlotte's passing. We learn from the Lexington Letter that Lumen has an uncanny ability to reach out to new refiners at exactly the right low moment.
Moreover, I think what they're doing by refining the files is isolating the tempers of other severed individuals to make them more compliant or easier to manipulate. I think this is done by reprogramming their severance chips to alter their personalities. In Lexington letter, there seems to be a direct link between the completion of a file and someone carrying out some kind of corporate espionage/terror attack against a rival company. When Cobel shows Petey's recovered chip to Graner in season 1, they both say "that's Petey" - not "Petey's chip", "Petey" as if the chips actually contain something of the person's identity.
I love that I cannot tell wether you are saying "Milchick" or "Milkshake" 😅
Keep up the great work Nautilus🙌
13:14 I thought she was Outie Helena until she told Innie Mark that they are not the same as their Outies and owe them nothing. I think she lied about what her Innie saw because she doesn't want the team to view her as trader.
Exactly. And she wasn’t cut off while standing, she was mid-fall, which is why she enters moving…
"Screaming like a feral cat" haha true.
Great video as always.
Her screaming was such a jumpscare for me 😱
My theories: Irvin’s outie is an undercover agent for a yet undisclosed government agency or something else. Helena jealous of Helly R, disabled her chip or the device that switches it on in the elevator to remain herself and she will also pursue outie Mark for a relationship. Natalie is Devin’s wife, her voice sounded like hers. Cobel-vig will have a redemption arc and become an Ally to Mark and an enemy to Lumon with the power to take them down. The child is the artificially inseminated daughter of Mark and Gemma.Burt whom followed Irvin may suspect something wrong with Lumon and will ally with outie Irvin to find out. Jame Eagan has the consciousness of Kier in his head and is why when Helly said “Father” he seemed to “snap out of it”. The “board” is the digitized consciousness of the previous CEO’s. The temporary innie replacements for MDR will show back up to take over that purple room to do something new.
Ahhh I've been waiting for your video
avoiding all other theory vids until my GOAT uploads
They’re not ready!
When Mark meets with his sister in the diner he did say he ID'd the body. But when he turned it on her he said "What if you had to look at Rickens Burned Body!" I think Gemmas body was a "plant" that was burned too much to really tell for him.
I am wondering if Gemma is involved in Lumon
Its also confirmed that pips is owned by lumon and they have it monitored because thats where mark and his sister talk about gemma being alive possibly and the next scene we see milkshake asking mark if he remembers anything about his wife. SUS. How much of the outside world is monitored? The creator was inspired by truman show and im almost certain thats how he incorporated it in this show, through shops like pips.
Drummond was sitting in Pip’s at that time.
Notice all the ice symbolism. The huge blue wall of Kier's head and then it turns grey. The ice behind Cobel's desk in season 1 and kiers head. In op baby kier has ice on his head. His head is frozen walt disney style and they are defrosting him.
I am here for the new nomenclature: Milkshake (Milchick…Milkshake)
Hey, great recap. But watch the season 1 finale again. The name "Burt Goodman" is already written down on the map, including the cross. So no, Irving's innie didn't write it down, but his outie already had.
However, it was surely a surprise when Irving's outtie woke up again and found himself in front of Burt's door. That surely got him thinking and wondering.
15:15 Lumon did “wrong her” in last season when she was let go she went home and destroyed her kier shrine in that shrine was a breathing tube with the name “Charlotte Cobel” on it. this breathing tube is likely the same kind of breathing tube mentioned in the lexington letter shortly after season one ended (i highly suggest reading it if you like the show) Lumon had to recall these breathing tubes after many people died because of a manufacturing defect. So in essence Lumon killed Cobelvigs mother.
This feels SO likely. Her attachment to outtie mark seems like empathy, and she loves kier but HATES lumon. Maybe because modern lumon did this to her mom? Only thing I feel needs to be connected is her need to prove that reintegration is possible in s1
Best two things i've heard thus far:
1. Helly's elevator trip down to MDR didn't ding on its way down like everyone else's. In fact, it dings only when she arrives, a natural B, not a B flat. Weird.
2. Cold Harbor is a civil war battle. In fact, a lot of MDR's filenames are civil war battles. Siena, Kingsport, Dranesville, all civil war battle sites. Jesup, Bellingham, Cairns, all civil war officers. Lumon was founded in 1865, the year the civil war ended.